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GREG BROWN (guest)
OR:

When you consider the fact that Obama promised bipartisanship but really meant do it my way McConnell's statement is right on. Obama has done what no modern president has done. He has demeaned his opponents, attacked anyone who differed from his opinion, embarrassed America with his outlandish apologies, and tried to take the country a different direction than he promised. The best thing is to make Obama a one term President and then re-group.

James Willis (guest)
CA:

The modern demise of civil political discourse began when Ted Kennedy chose to make Robert Bork's last name a verb. All downhill from there and this midterm election is still about who can "Bork" whom.

Todd Fritz (guest)
GA:

Responsibility trumps compromise. The country is out of money and rapidly approaching bankruptcy with the looming retirement of millions of baby boomers. And, Democrats want to "compromise" on spending more money, including the addition of extremely expensive social programs? What's to compromise about? Water cannot be squeezed from a dry stone.

Daniel Shay (guest)
PA:

Well, that about clarifies it. The Republican leadership would burn this country to the ground, if only to rule over the ash pile.

Ken Feltman (guest)
DC:

With the Citizens United case, the free market is beginning to determine whether too little or too much money is devoted to politics.

Andy Alderson (guest)
OH:

Steve Steckler hit the nail on the head: nothing incites anger like arrogance. Yes, we've seen incivility in the past. But today there seems to be an unparalleled rancor in the air. It stems from the American people being ignored, dismissed, and treated as ignorant masses by a narcissistic, we-know-whats-best-for-you, smug and arrogant administration. Make no mistake: Tuesday is not just a midterm correction, it is a day of reckoning.

Patrick Northway (guest)
IN:

If you haven't noticed, the American presumption of exceptionalism borders on pathological. Combined with a significant historical and cultural religious streak, Americans react like extremists to any reality based indication that they are NOT God's own spawn. A major terrorist attack; a possibly permanent economic depression; loss of prestige, power, and influence overseas and losing yet another war they started all contribute to the hysteria.

Alan Nagle (guest)
MO:

The sad fact of American civic life is that after the Republicans spent the better part of the last decade proving themselves unfit to govern, congressional Democrats have since 2008 shown themselves incapable. Nation-states in decline need to be smart and realistic; in our case H. L. Mencken was and is right in observing that democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.

Hamdi Rifai (guest)
NJ:

Lack of civility reflects the lack of responsibility/integrity in the media and the creation of the digital media. I include the millions of people that are casual media writing a blog or providing a feed to 5,000 Facebook friends. They have no limits and they have no accountability. The mass media (NY Times) are guilty by virtue of acts like writing lifestyle pieces about people like Pamela Geller. Glamorizing the obscene.

Jim Wojtasiewicz (guest)
VA:

Why is today's right so much angrier than the left? What was once a very angry left (remember Seattle?) has largely disappeared from view (notably excepting Joy Behar). Its really not true that the left "won" with Obama -- Jon Stewart's (rather gentle) questioning of Obama's policies came from the left, but Obama was unapologetic. Maybe the difference is that right wing extremism worships selfishness like a deity. "Greed is good."

Matt Miller (guest)
PA:

Voters are so angry because the media tells them they should be. When you turn on Fox and their pundits are telling you to be angry about the failings of Obama's administration, and then you switch to MSNBC and they're telling you to be angry about the latest soundbite from the tea party, you're not left with much of a choice. As long as we have 24-hour news networks grasping at straws, they're going to keep resorting to anger to boost ratings.

Monte Pike (guest)
ME:

It is because they spent billions to avert a crisis, and then we actually had a crises. The real crisis was: the government did not listen to the people; and went ahead and spent the money anyway. I wrote to my representatives and explained to them that our money is an I.O.U. from the Government, and that it is faith in the government, which gives value to the pieces of paper. The trust is at an all-time low and for good reason.

Sam Spoonman (guest)
CA:

When Americans vote against the liberal orthodoxy, they are "angry." When they vote for the liberal orthodoxy they are inspired by hope.

Ken Feltman (guest)
DC:

With the Citizens United case, the free market is beginning to determine whether too little or too much money is devoted to politics.

Hamdi Rifai (guest)
NJ:

I'm less concerned with how much money is being spent than who is spending the money in an unaccountable way. Citizens United has opened the door to unlimited spending by people that have no responsibility to answer for their conduct or more importantly the veracity of their statements or positions.

John DuBose (guest)
TX:

Did any of the writers here notice an obvious fact: a lot of big contributors give money to the side they think will win. That way they get access. That is corrupt, but there is no way to counter it except to disclose it.

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